One look in the living room window confirmed Kaige's worst fear and he tightened his grip on his weapon. The vampire who had attacked Savanna at his condo was holding her captive while an ancient-looking male ran a gnarled finger down her beautiful cheek. Neither Kira nor the Counsel were anywhere in sight.
"Where the hell are the Counsel members?" Zane asked quietly. "I don't think they would have taken them upstairs to the bedrooms." He looked at Jensen. "Is there anywhere else they could have taken them?"
Jensen thought a moment. "There's a wine cellar just off the kitchen. If they're not upstairs, that's the only place large enough to hold all of them."
Zane nodded. "Show us how to get there." He looked at Kaige. "Do you need me to leave one of my team with you to take care of them?"
Kaige shook his head. "They're mine."
Zane gave him an appraising look. "I thought you might say that. Good luck."
With a nod, Zane and his team followed Jensen around to the back of the house. Kaige didn't watch them go, but quickly made his way to the front door and entered the house. To his relief, the entryway was unguarded and he hurried to the living room. What he saw made his blood go cold. The old vampire had Savanna's head pulled savagely to the side and was about to bite her. There was no way in hell Kaige was going to let that happen.
* * * * "Take your fucking hands off her or I'll shoot you right now, you bastard!" Kaige! Relief swept through Savanna at the sound of his deep voice. She knew he wasn't dead. She just knew it!
Darac shifted so quickly that Savanna didn't even see him move. One second, he was in front of her preparing to bite her neck, and the next, he was standing beside her with his nasty, clawed fingers wrapped around her throat.
"Put down the gun or I'll tear out her throat," he said to Kaige.
Kaige ignored him, lifting the rifle he held and aiming it directly at the old vampire. But when he sent a quick glance her way, Savanna saw hesitation in his dark eyes.
He ground his jaw and turned his attention back to Darac. "I'm not letting you walk out of here with her."
Darac regarded him in silence for a moment. "It would seem we are at an impasse. But I like your courage. It isn't found in many of these bag-fed creatures that dare to call themselves vampires. You would have done well in the old days. Because of that, I'm willing to make you an offer. Throw down your modern weapon and fight me for her. Hand to hand, vampire against vampire, as it was done in centuries past."
Kaige hesitated. Savanna's blood went cold at the look in her lover's eyes. He couldn't actually be considering Darac's suggestion, could he? But to her shock, Kaige tossed the gun on the floor. Oh God. What if Darac had a gun underneath his cape and shot Kaige now that he was defenseless?
But apparently, Darac had been serious about fighting Kaige hand to hand because he released his grip on her and reached up to untie his cape.
"Hold her," he said to Overcoat Vamp. "I'll finish this quickly."
As he spoke, he whipped off his cape with a dramatic flourish and tossed it on the couch before turning to Kaige. With a hiss, he slowly began to advance on Kaige.
Savanna held her breath as she watched. Suddenly, Darac launched himself at Kaige in a jump that took him halfway across the living room. They came together quicker than her eyes could even follow. Darac might have been old, but he was fast. And strong. Savanna had to bite her lip to keep from screaming as Kaige was thrown completely across the room. He landed with a crash that splintered a coffee table, but was back on his feet immediately, much to her relief.
Kaige and Darac threw themselves at each other again. Darac used his nails and fangs as weapons, trying to cut and bite, while Kaige threw punch after punch. Many of the blows found their mark, but had little effect on the older vampire. Savanna could hardly breathe. What could Kaige do against such an ancient vampire? He seemed invulnerable.
Suddenly, Darac raked his nails down Kaige's shirt, shredding the material and leaving four long claw marks deep in his muscular chest. Blood began to flow freely from the wounds, and Savanna felt fear grip her.
Behind her, Overcoat Vamp let out a laugh that infuriated her. She only wished she could smash in his smug, arrogant, laughing face.
All of sudden, the sounds of gunfire echoed in the house.
Darac stopped for a moment to give Kaige a superior look. "That will be my vampires finishing off that despicable Counsel scum down in the wine cellar."
Kaige smirked. "Actually, that would be the Counsel's security team taking your thugs down like the common criminals they are. You didn't really think I'd come into this house by myself, did you?"
That seemed to take Darac by surprise. He recovered quickly, though, and threw himself at Kaige again, but he was clearly rattled. Kaige took advantage of that. He side-stepped the old vampire and swung his fist right into Darac's face.
Since the older vampire was in mid-leap at the time, he couldn't avoid the blow. Kaige's fist struck him squarely in the nose. It crunched with a sickening sound and the old vampire hit the floor with a thud.
For one wild moment, Savanna thought that it might be over, but then Darac wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and got to his feet. He glared at Kaige with hatred in his eyes and advanced on him once more.
Kaige's punch had definitely taken something out of him. Even though the ancient vamp still tried to slash at Kaige with his nails, he wasn't moving nearly as fast as he had been. Kaige quickly gained the upper hand, ramming his fist into Darac's face again and again. The blows drove his opponent relentlessly back across the room.
It was almost over; Savanna could feel it. Kaige was going to win. She felt herself relax, only to immediately tense again when she felt Overcoat Vamp tighten his grip around her waist and start to drag her from the room. Evidently he had recognized that things weren't going Darac's way and must have decided it was time to go solo. She feared to think what he had in mind for her once he had her alone.
Heart pounding, Savanna struggled frantically to free herself, but his arms were like steel bands around her. Not wanting to distract Kaige, but not knowing what else to do, she shouted his name just as her captor pulled her into the entryway.
She tried to dig her heels in as he dragged her down the hallway, but it did no good. Not about to give up, she tried to jab her elbow into his face. "Let go of me!"
"I still owe you for what you did to my face, bitch, and I'm going to make sure you pay!" he snarled in her ear.
As he spoke, he made a sharp turn, pulling her through the formal dining room and into the kitchen. She craned her neck to look over her shoulder and was horrified to see that he was heading for the back door. She couldn't let him get her outside. But how was she going to stop him? Every time she tried to grab hold of a doorjamb or countertop, he just savagely ripped her loose.
Savanna looked around wildly, desperately trying to find something she could use as a weapon. Suddenly, she caught sight of a hanging pot-rack positioned over the island. Normally, she hated the things-probably because they were always in some horror movie or other-but now she was thinking that the kitchen accessory might just save her life.
As her would-be kidnapper pulled her past the island, she reached up and grabbed the first thing she could reach: a cast-iron skillet. For a moment, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get it off the hook, but to her relief, it came free in her hand. Using every bit of strength she had, she twisted around and brought the heavy pan down as hard as she could on the vampire's head.
He released her with a curse, his hands going to his injured head even as he stumbled backward.
Savanna had hoped the blow would knock him out, but no such luck. As a vampire, he had the strength of ten men, not to mention a damn hard head. Ignoring the blood pouring down the side of his face, he bared his fangs and lunged at her.
"You'll pay for that, you-"
Her hands tightening on the skillet, Savanna swung it at him again. This time, it connected with his fist. The vampire howled and pulled back his damaged hand, cradling it with his good one in obvious pain. She wasn't a doctor, but she was pretty sure she'd just broken his hand in a few places.
He lifted his head to give her a murderous look. "I'll kill you for that!"
Her hands trembling, Savanna lifted the cast-iron skillet, all set to hit him with it again, but just then, Kaige rushed into the room and slammed into the other vampire. The two went down hard on the tiled floor. With the way Overcoat Vamp was trying to protect his broken hand, the fight was over almost before it started. Drawing back his fist, Kaige delivered two hard punches that left the other vampire unconscious. For a moment, Savanna wasn't sure Kaige was going stop pummeling the thug that had tried to kidnap her yet again, but with a curse, he shoved the unconscious vampire away.
Breathing hard, Kaige pushed himself to his feet and turned to look at her. Even as bruised and bloody as he was from the fight, Savanna thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. With a sob of relief, she dropped the skillet she was holding and ran over to him. He met her halfway, his arms going around her as she threw herself into them.
"I was so afraid for you," she said, the words muffled against his shirt as she pressed her face into his chest.
He smoothed her hair with his hand. "I know, baby. But it's over now." He put his hands on her shoulders and took a step back so he could look at her. "Are you okay? That bastard didn't hurt you, did he?"
Savanna shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She reached out to gently run her fingers over the deep scratches on his chest. "But you're hurt."
He reached up and tenderly brushed her hair back from her face. "It's nothing. Just some scratches."
She wasn't sure she'd agree, but at least it looked like Darac hadn't done any worse damage. She frowned as she abruptly remembered the other vampire. "What about Darac?"
His brow furrowed in confusion at the name. "Who?"
"The old vampire," she said. "Is he..."
"Dead?" Kaige supplied when her voice trailed off. "Yes. I didn't want it to end that way, but he really didn't give me any choice. He and his clan won't be hurting anyone else."
Savanna nodded. "What about Kira and the Counsel members? Are they okay?"
Kaige opened his mouth to reply, but then grinned at something over her shoulder. Savanna turned to see Jensen and Kira coming into the room along with all the members of the Counsel, as well as Zane and another operative from the security team. None of them look like they'd been harmed, much to Savanna's relief.
There were hugs all around, after which Zane explained how Jensen had led the team into the wine cellar through a secret escape route. There had been another shootout, but the only injuries that had occurred were on the enemy side.
As Zane's security team began to clean up the mess a little while later, he eyed Savanna and Kaige appraisingly. "You know, you two handled yourselves really well. We could always use operatives like you working for us. Have you ever thought of working for the Counsel?"
Savanna looked at Kaige, who slipped an arm around her waist to pull her close. "No thanks," she said, giving the head of the security team a grin. "I don't think I could do this on a regular basis."
"Besides," Kaige added. "We have more important things to take care of. Like planning a wedding."
She looked at him in surprise. "Wedding? You mean..."
He grinned. "Of course. If you think I'm going to let you get away after all of this, you're crazy." He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently on the mouth. "I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone, Savanna. If you'll have me, I'd like to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much."
Savanna's heart began to do the Snoopy Dance at his words and for a moment, she didn't know if she were going to laugh or cry. She ended up doing both. "Of course, I'll have you." She reached up to brush his hair back. "You're the most absolutely perfect man in the world for me. You're the gorgeous, sensitive, mysterious, damsel-in-distress-saving, I-only-like-to-come-out-afterdark kind of guy that I've always wanted. So, you set the date, and I'll be there."
Before he could reply, she tugged him back down for a kiss, only to blush and pull back with an embarrassed laugh when everyone around them began to applaud.
Chapter 11.
Savanna let out a little moan of pleasure each time she came down on Kaige's hard cock. She slid her hands up his washboard abs to his well-muscled chest, leaning forward slightly as she slowly continued to undulate. Kaige tightened his hold on her hips, guiding her up and down.
"Oh yeah," he said in a husky voice. "Ride me just like that, baby. Don't stop."
Even as she complied, Savanna couldn't help but smile at his words. She and Kaige had made love practically nonstop since they'd left San Francisco and boarded the Counsel's private jet to London the night before. They'd gotten in late and hadn't left their hotel room since. Not that she was complaining. Making love to her new husband was way more fun than sightseeing.
Savanna leaned forward and pressed her lips to the side of his neck. She could feel his blood pumping beneath the skin. The intoxicating scent of it was almost enough to make her dizzy, and she sighed as she felt her fangs slide out. Holding on tightly to his shoulders, she gently sank her teeth into his neck.
Kaige's hoarse groan of pleasure ignited a fire within her and she let out a little moan of her own. His hands tightened on her hips, urging her to ride him faster and faster as he began to thrust even harder into her. It was impossible to tell which one of them came first because their orgasms were so completely intertwined. Savanna wasn't even sure if what she was feeling was her pleasure or his. All she could do was cry out against his neck from the ecstasy of it.
"So, Mrs. Travers," Kaige said a little while later. "What would you like to do today?"
Savanna was snuggled up beside him with her head pillowed on his shoulder. She smiled at the sound of her married name. "Besides more of what we just did?"
Her husband chuckled. "Besides that."
She laughed as she ran her finger up and down his bare chest. "How about a walk along the Thames then lunch at a traditional English pub?" she suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Kaige agreed, tilting her chin up to kiss her on the mouth.
Now that she and Kaige had decided to finally leave the room and explore the city, Savanna was suddenly impatient to go sightseeing. As they were pulling on their clothes, however, Kaige's cell phone rang.
Her husband glanced at the display. "It's Jensen," he said as he flipped it open. "I won't be long."
While Kaige talked to the other vampire, Savanna went out on the balcony to take in the view. It had been gorgeous the night before, but in the light of day, it was absolutely breathtaking. From where she stood, she could see Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, and just beyond that, the Thames.
When Kaige had suggested going to London for their honeymoon, she had eagerly agreed. Of course, she'd been so thrilled with the idea of becoming his wife that she probably would have agreed to go anywhere. But the city really was the perfect place for a honeymoon. Though she knew it would obviously look different now, she was eager to see where he had grown up.
Savanna's lips curved into a smile as she looked down at the diamond rings on her left hand. Their wedding had been absolutely beautiful. They had gotten married in her parents' church then driven up to a country club in Napa for the reception. To both Kaige and Savanna's surprise, the Counsel had insisted on paying for everything from the honeymoon to the designer gown her mother had mentioned seeing on the front of that bridal magazine. Gabriella had told Savanna and Kaige that it was the Counsel's way of repaying them for what they'd done.
Though they had gotten married only a month after the episode at the winery, her mother had approved of the rather quick wedding. "You have to grab him before someone else does," she had told Savanna again. Of course that hadn't kept her mother from pulling her to the side to make sure Kaige wasn't marrying her just because she was pregnant. She had hastily assured her mother that wasn't the case.
Her father, on the other hand, had been more put out that someone else was paying for the wedding than he was with how fast it was happening. But when he got a look at the size of the guest list, he had capitulated without another word. Besides her family, the list had included all of her friends, Kaige's colleagues and students, the Counsel members, Zane's security team, and even the various administrative staff that had registered her on her first official day as a vampire. Altogether, there had ended up being more than four hundred people at the wedding.
Jensen had been Kaige's best man, while Kira had been her matron-of-honor and Michelle had been her bridesmaid. Even now, thinking about how wonderful the wedding had been brought tears of happiness to Savanna's eyes.
Kaige came out onto the balcony, interrupting her thoughts, and Savanna laughed as he slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.
She turned in his arms to drape her own around his neck. "So, what did Jensen want?" she asked.
Kaige shrugged. "He just wanted to make sure we got in okay."
Savanna lifted a brow. "You were on the phone a long time for that." When her husband said nothing, she sighed. "Okay, what did he really want? You know I'm just going to hound you until you tell me."
Kaige sighed. "Jensen wanted to know if we could swing by the Strand district while we're out sightseeing. Apparently, there have been some rumors of a rogue vampire attacking tourists down there."
Her brow furrowed. "What did you tell him?"
"That we're here on our honeymoon, not to chase after some rogue vampire."
She had no doubt that Kaige had said that for her benefit. If he had been on his own, he probably would have gone to check it out, but he didn't want to put her in harm's way. While she loved him for it, she couldn't help but think about how badly she would feel if some poor, unsuspecting tourist got bitten.
Back in the room, Kaige grabbed the camera while she picked up the tourist guide from the desk. As they walked out of the hotel a few minutes later, Savanna thumbed through the book.
He glanced at her. "So, where do you want to go first?"
"Actually, I'd like to check out the part of town just northeast of here," she said as they started down the street. "It looks like there might be some interesting sights."
He eyed her suspiciously. "Really? If I remember correctly, they call that area the Strand."
Savanna gave him a smile. "You know, I think you're right."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.